Washed Up Out Of Options
by AkariZeriChana-newAmerica
Summary: This is a story about what happens when an ex-soldier from the Europe, shows up on Fork’s coasts, with the Volturi on her tail and a haunting past. Now the Cullen's must choose. What decision will they make? Rated T. ON HOLD FOREVR,SORRY
1. What the waves dragged in

New Kid in Town

Chapter 1- Friendly Welcome?

A/N- This is a story about what happens when an ex-soldier from the Europe, (like Jasper, except not US) shows up on Fork's coasts, with the Volturi on her tail and a haunting past, what decision will the Cullen's make? _That was the summary for those of you who have not read it._

**Alex's POV-**

Mary mother of God I was tired.

I couldn't stop; I had to keep going I could almost sense them behind me. I kept swimming. Where was I? I know I had started somewhere of the Russian coast, and leaving Russia behind was good. But for six days, there had been nothing but water and someone chasing behind me.

My throat ached, my arms where so sore. I didn't think it was possible, for a vampire to tire, but when blood is your food, you'll get tired sometime. Creatures avoided me, and I couldn't risk stopping to soothe my thirst, there was someone not too far behind me.

What was that smell? The rich tones of earth reached my nose when I came to the surface. It was land! Where was this land though? It must be America… or Mexico. The beaches dropped of in jagged cliffs in some places, it was beautiful after almost a week straight swimming in Open Ocean.

I shuddered at the memories, the flash of white, flames rising like monsters across the field… my sister gone. I sighed and shot towards the shore; on land, I could loose the creep following me. I refused to keep swimming. I was going to pass out.

The beach reeked, of what I couldn't say. The waves where a little harsher than I expected and I ended up swallowing some disgusting water. Coughing, I dragged myself onto the shore. My arms where weak, and the warm sand felt oddly comforting.

"_Leach!_"

There was a chorus of howls sounding all along the beach. I groaned and started coughing hysterically. I was on my knees, and all I could think was that I was pathetic. Pathetic. Get up and fight damnit! I couldn't make myself stand up.

A boy, no older than seventeen but definitely more than human was standing glaring down at me, a young pale girl hovering at his side.

"Stand up bloodsucker." He growled, the girl quivered by his side, she was more than human to. She smelled like… half vampire half-human? I coughed, was that even possible?

"Jacob… stop." The girl murmured, looking at me with pity. Pity. So I guess I did look as pathetic as I felt.

"There's a leach on our land Nessie. What do you want me to do?" He snapped, never taking his eyes off me. Nessie, the girl, glared at the ground.

"I think you should call Carlisle."

"Nessie!" He complained as two more tall dark skinned boys showed up by Jacob's side. Each smelled awful. I stood up shakily, covered in sand and seawater.

"Does she _look_ threatening?" Nessie muttered, and I glared.

Look threatening? I could do more than just look threatening. Then I remembered that humans can't see the scars that vampires like me had, pale against pale, white on white, it was almost impossible for the human eye to see. So, I probably just looked stupid.

"Nessie," The tallest boy behind Jacob said, "I understand your concern, but you must realize our concern for our people."

"If I could just call Carlisle!" She continued, trying to persuade them,

"And what? Let the leach walk through the village? Look at her eyes!" Jacob demanded, "Do you think she wouldn't kill someone if she had half the chance." He was snarling now.

"Stop talking about vampires like that." Nessie snapped, "Remember that she is not the only 'bloodsucker' on this beach." She glared at him and for a second he glared back, but it seemed as though he could not be angry with her.

"Sorry." He muttered. Nessie turned to face me,

"Hello, I'm Renesmee, and this is Jacob, Sam and Paul." She gestured to each boy.

"Alex." I said shortly, my throat ached even more when I spoke.

She smiled, "Well, we're going to get you of werewolf territory first, and then we can talk." She pulled out a small phone, a cell phone if I wasn't mistaken. I hadn't kept up with human tech…

"Carlisle?" She said into the phone, I could hear the person on the other end of the line. This was not good, not remotely good. Crap.

**Edward POV-**

I was watching the sunset down into the trees; Bella was out with Rosalie shopping, as a surprise for Alice. I didn't know the occasion, it didn't really matter though, and with Alice and Esme at a local bookstore in search of something interesting to read, it was just the guys at the Cullen's house.

Emmett came up behind me, I was not surprised, and his thoughts gave him away.

"When's Nessie getting back?" He said, not to quietly either.

"Whenever she gets back, she will be back." I mussed quietly. Emmett sighed heavily,

"I don't know what's with you dude, but you're really annoying me now."

"I know." I smirked a little.

"You would." Emmett snapped, and turned the television on, flipping through numerous sports games of little importance.

The phone rang, as I stood up to get it Carlisle slipped into the room,

"I got it," He said cheerfully, "One of my colleagues promised to call back earlier, it should be them." He picked the phone up, "Hello?"

_Carlisle?_ Renesmee. I stood up, and gave Carlisle a questioning look, which he returned. Neither of us knew why she was calling.

"What is it Nessie? Is everything okay?"

_Sort of._

"What does she mean by sort of?!" I burst out angrily. She heard that,

_Well, things are okay for now, but we have a minor conflict with the wolves and…_

She trailed off, something she must have inherited from her mother. I didn't know what she was thinking from here!

"Nessie, what is it? Just tell us." Carlisle insisted,

_Jacob found a vampire washed up on the beach. We think she swam here from far away, we don't know where though. She has an accent._

I was dumbstruck, and Emmett turned the game off and growled,

"Who?" He asked,

"Do you know who it is?" Carlisle continued,

_No, but whoever she is, she's a mess. Tired, paranoid and way beyond thirsty, Jacob wanted to kill her on sight. I just asked for a chance to call you._

"What have they decided to do?"

_Nothing yet, their expecting us to work it out… as usual._ I heard Jacob growling on the other end of the line. Slightly annoyed, I asked for the phone,

"Carlisle, can I talk to her?" I said quietly, no need to talk like Emmett…

"Of course," He paused, "Nessie, I'm putting you're father on."

"Nessie," I said sternly, "What exactly happened?"

_Well I was walking around on the beach looking for shells with Jacob, and we see this girl coughing up seawater on the beach._

"And Jacob's reaction was that he wanted to kill her?"

_Yeah… he's not a fan of random vampire appearances._

"Anything besides that? Important things you noticed, appearance, where she's from, name…?" I pressed, Emmett and Jasper where hovering around me.

_Yeah, she's European for sure; I think Italian, but not Volturi. I can't say for sure, but I don't think so. Her name's Alex, and there's something weird about her. Nevertheless, like I said, I just can't say for sure._

I rubbed my forehead tiredly, "We'll be there in a couple minutes, okay?"

_Sure._

"Hang tight Nessie!" Emmett yelled, in my ear. Again. I growled out of annoyance,

_Dad?_

"Yes,"

_One more thing, bring Jasper._ Her voice dropped very low, _You know Jasper's scars? She has some just like them. Well, not some, a lot. Jacob can't see them, but I can. Be careful…_

"You too Nessie, keep Jacob with you until I get there." I shut the phone and turned to face everyone.

"We're going to get Nessie and this kid." I said confidently, "Jasper, you heard what Nessie said, everyone on guard. We don't want an issue here, everyone should be aloud to live, and it's not this kid's fault she stumbled onto wolf territory."

"This is going to be interesting." Jasper scowled. _How dangerous do you think she's going to be?_

"Hard to say, but with what Nessie said we can assume whoever this is, their exhausted. If she has any sense at all, she won't fight." I grabbed my phone and headed for the door, the last thing I heard before I started running was Emmett's pessimistic sarcasm,

"If she has any sense… you never know. She could be like Jasper." Jasper proceeded to slap the back of Emmett's head, as was justly deserved.

**Nessie POV-**

I hung up the phone, smiling a little. "See Jake, there's no need to be violent," I smiled at him, "there's a better way to handle it."

"So, what are you going to do with it?" Jake nodded toward Alex.

"Um, _it_ has a name you know." She snapped,

"And it should shut the hell up if it wants to live." Jake growled, I shot him a disapproving look. "Nessie," he almost whined, "it's not my fault! I just… I'm just thinking about the safety of the tribe."

"Is that all you ever think about?" I said sadly, he put his hand over my lips,

"Let me finish." He smiled, "I'm thinking about the safety of the tribe, and _you're _safety." I paused,

"Well… that was sweeter than I thought." I smiled. Then I heard the faint whisper of running behind me.

"Not interrupting anything are we?" Emmett coughed coming up behind us. Jake jumped a little but suppressed the urge to growl or phase. He was coming along.

"Nessie," Jasper started, staring out over the beach,

"Uh… yeah Jasper?" I answered,

"So… where exactly is our washed up vamp girl?" He asked me, curious copper eyes meeting mine.

Oh God, I thought, looking around. Where was she?

"Crap." I muttered,

"Language!"

"_Crap!"_


	2. Chapter 2 Found

Chapter Two- A shared hell

**Jasper POV-**

"Alright," I growled, "find her."

Emmett coughed, "Dude, you're the best at tracking here so…" He trailed off, irritating me. I turned to face Nessie,

"What did she look like?" Nessie frowned,

"Straight, light brown hair… um, taller than Alice, shorter than Rosalie, paler than most of us, black, black eyes… Jasper?" She looked up at me,

"What?" I snapped, pacing up and down.

"I know you think she's dangerous, but I think she needs help." My father took a step closer to me and put a hand on my shoulder,

"What kind of help Nessie?" He said,

"She seems… sad, like she's lost." Nessie frowned, Edward shot me this look, like, 'Don't do anything stupid' I sighed.

"Fine, you know what," I paused, "I'll… I'll go easy, and I'll be nice." Everyone was quiet, "Look, we're wasting time. Every second we stand here is a second she could be getting farther away!"

No one said anything.

I turned to face Jacob, last resort, "A second she could be hunting any one of the humans in La Push." I was growling, and I hoped it would set him off. It did, he started twitching and convulsing.

"Jake, calm down…" Nessie warned him.

"We're going. Now." I spat and took a deep breath, picking up the scent of the kid. It didn't go into the village, which was good. It ran along the coast, toward a small cave created by waves pounding into the cliffs.

Our footsteps echoed in the water and against the stone. I paused, there was another sound, I held up one finger to silence my family behind me. I heard it again, breathing. Shaking and quivering, someone was crying.

"Great. Who made the new girl cry?" A familiar voice behind me said, very familiar. Alice!

"Alice!" I said, "What are you doing here?"

"Well," She said hopping down into the ankle deep water, "I had this vision that there was a girl who wound up Forks… and you think I would miss out?!" She pouted. Emmett burst out laughing, the sound echoed off the walls and bounced around. The faint crying stopped.

Alice zoned out, before I could ask what she spoke, "Someone catch her before she gets into Forks and goes on an accidental murder spree."

I looked at Edward, "I may be the best a tracking, but you're the fastest." He smirked and took off after the kid.

Once he was gone, I faced Nessie, "So, who the hell is this anyway?" I growled, she shrugged,

"Said her name was Alex, and not much else, I just noticed she had scars like yours." She shrugged again,

"Well, whoever she is, let's hope Edward stops her before she finds someone of the human persuasion." I grumbled angrily.

**Edward POV-**

So I was the fastest, I already knew that. It was easier to follow the sound of running feet than try to focus on the image of the person at these speeds. I didn't know exactly where these little caves led, but the smell of Forks was getting stronger the further we went. The smell of human blood was getting stronger.

I was catching up to the kid, gaining ground; I couldn't be more than six feet off her tail. Tail? Never mind, six feet away from her.

Just a couple more inches and we could end this game of cat-and-mouse. Cat-and-mouse with vampires thrown in! I could here my family faintly behind me, not running as fast as I was, but trying to catch up. The kid was so close now, and so was Forks. There was a light, a hole in the cave, leading up to the boundary line of La Push and Forks.

This had to stop now, _before_ someone innocent got hurt. I chanced it and jumped, throwing myself forward. Growling burst out, echoing of the walls, hers and mine too. We where both standing in less than one quarter of a second, I was blocking the way out, the kid was stuck between me and my family coming up behind her.

This was the first time I actually got a good look at the kid. Her hair was brown, but lighter than Bella's and pin straight, not wavy. She was pale, even for a vampire, her skin was covered in scars like Jasper, eyes where pitched black. To top it all off, she looked like she was about to keel over. She was soaking wet and trembling head to toe.

"Hey," I said, not knowing where to start, "look, no one wants to hurt you, but you have to co-operate." The kid just stared. What was her name? Oh, right, Alex, I remembered, Nessie had told me.

"Alex, we're just making sure no one gets hurt on our land. We're protecting our secret, you can understand that right, and you speak English?"

_No freaking duh I speak English._ She snarled in her thoughts. _No, I speak Yiddish, don't you? _ Sarcasm, gotta love it.

"Look, we just want to make sure no one gets hurt." She glared at me,

_No one gets hurt? Really? I bet that to you it looks like I would kill any living thing that came by?_

"Sort of, wouldn't that be normal though?" I wondered,

_Save it mind reader. I won't hurt any of your humans. I'm just passing through._

"How did you know?" I growled. Could this be her gift?

_How did I know about the mind reading? Same way that you can read minds, and there's a lot more than just knowing you can pluck thoughts from peoples heads._ She sneered, and I bet she was resisting adding a snide comment, with some difficulty.

"Where are you passing through to? Where did you come from?" I asked as Carlisle and the others appeared behind her, stopping just ten feet away. There was no way Jasper was going to risk it on this one.

"Does it matter where I came from or where I'm going? In my opinion, all you need to know is that I won't be staying here." She spoke aloud for the first time, probably making a point for my family. Emmett coughed behind her,

"Well, if I where in your situation I would tell him where you're from and where you're going, but that's just what I would do. It's totally up to you whether or not you want to be stupid or cooperate." He shifted his weight a bit, almost crouching, we where waiting for a reaction.

The kid's knees where shaking, my guess was from exhaustion. She looked around to try to find a way out, but what her eyes found was three other vampires besides me, specifically Jasper.

"God damnit…" She muttered, _I hope you're happy._ She glared at me with accusing eyes.

"It's not our fault you showed up here." I said calmly.

_And it wasn't my fault I had to leave my home…_ These thoughts where not the ones she wanted me to here.

I saw what she was seeing, what she was remembering, for a brief second. It was chaotic, people running everywhere, the grey cloaks of the Volturi swirling ominously in the wind, someone screaming for 'Sara' and the last thing was the worst of all. She thought of a boy, not older than her, standing on the shore as she swam, telling her to go.

He waved. The way she thought about this boy, I shivered. Whoever this kid was, they had recently been separated from or lost their mate, and their sister to the Volturi. The memory was colored with sadness and loss, and I knew Jasper felt it to. He looked at me,

_You see whatever went with that feeling?_ Jasper thought, I nodded slowly.

"What are we missing here?" Carlisle asked, clearing his throat.

"Well…" I said slowly, "I know why you ran," she glanced around at all of us, "but I don't know where you ran from."

"Europe."

"What?!" Can't tell you who said that, it might have been all of us. "How could you be from Europe? Your memory… you swam here!" I said astounded,

Carlisle stepped close to Alex, putting one hand on her shoulder, "That's a very long way to go without stopping." I was about to warn him, but Alex didn't react violently, she sighed, it sounded sad, like she had been defeated.

"I know," She said very quietly, "it was a very long way, for almost a week, all I saw was blue, all I heard was water and…" _and those damn Volturi zombies following me._

"The Volturi followed you to Forks?" I demanded as soon as I heard what she was thinking.

"No," she stated quickly, "whoever was chasing me turned back before I smelled the earth of the shore."

"You must be tired." Carlisle said, _I wonder…_ "You must be thirsty." Carlisle was wondering what she hunted, humans or animals. Her eyes where to dark to tell, but it was an interesting thing to think about. I should have thought of it.

"Yeah, I am." Se shrugged like it was no big deal,

"Do you hunt humans?" Jasper asked, never once looking away, tracking her every move.

_That's short and to the point._ "No." She smirked, "From here, it looks like you don't either."

"No, we're vegetarians." Alice chimed in pleasantly.

"Vegetarians?" Alex laughed, "I've never heard it put that way before." The kid smiled. Alice was already planning a shopping trip.

"Whoa Alice," I said, cutting off her thoughts, "before you plan a whole new wardrobe for the kid, why don't we find out if she's even sticking around." Nessie giggled a little, peaking out form behind Jacob. He was protective, almost as protective as I was. I wouldn't call it bad, but I wasn't sure it was good either. She was _my_ daughter after all.

"Oh, she's staying." Alice said grabbing Alex's hand and towing her out towards open air, "I saw it!"

"Um…" Alex stammered, "Where are we going?" Alice smiled,

"Shopping."

_Help me!_ Alex thought desperately, lucky for her Jasper cut in,

"Before we do anything else, she goes hunting." He said, pointing at the kid. "No way she's not thirsty if she's so tired her knees shake when she stands."

No one had noticed that before. This kid was so exhausted from thirst she couldn't stand without shaking! That's about as bad as it gets. I sighed, and we all headed out towards vampire territory, and the hunting grounds,


	3. Chapter 3 A Shared Hell

**A/N- Told you guys I would have this chapter done soon! Remember to review please! Let's see if we can get ten reviews! Ten… I'd settle for five though. This one is the longest one yet, enjoy!**

**Chapter 3- A Shared Hell**

**Edward's POV again!**

Several elk later, everyone was ready to head home.

"Hey! Alex kid! You want to meet the rest of our family?" Emmett called loudly, Alex stood up and wiped some blood off the side of her mouth and snorted,

"There are more of you?" She wondered looking directly at Alice when she spook. _Huh, thought that at least she would have told me. Then again, she wanted to go shopping. Ugh… shivers…_

"Sure kid," Emmett continued, "You think that Jasper is the only one who found a nice girl to settle down with?" He chuckled,

"Oh stop bragging about your blond girl." Alice called with mock anger from somewhere close by. Something in Alex's mind clicked, and she turned on Emmett,

"Hey, I'm no kid." She said loudly. Emmett gaffed,

"Really kid?" She growled when he said that, "How old is the kid, Nessie?" He asked her, but the question was directed towards anyone. No one said anything, "No one knows?"

She smirked, "I'm one hundred and fourteen years old. How old are you… kid?" Emmett was taken aback, but for less than a second,

"Not the age I meant Alex." Now he was smirking, "How tall are you, five foot one?" He walked around her, trying to put on a show, but it was only annoying her.

"Now," He continued, "someone who is as short as you are, with an attitude like yours and a childish voice like yours is probably around… I'm guessing here, around thirteen?"

Carlisle gasped. _And I thought everyone else was too young for this life! Even Esme insisted that it's too lonely for children… seventeen she said was to young, and I agreed after a while, but thirteen… that's awful._ I couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Alex glared at Emmett, "I'm not thirteen." She snarled,

"So you're twelve?" He laughed,

"NO!" She yelled, "I… I turned fourteen two days before…" She took a deep breathe, "Before I bumped into someone named Aro Volturi and a couple friends."

"The Volturi?" Alice said anxiously, "You where one of them?" We all looked at her, she did have an accent, but she didn't seem like she was one of them.

"No, I just messed with their gifts without knowing it. I going to the market for my mum when I saw them, and as soon as I looked at them, these weird things started to happen. I don't really remember but one of them called me a mirror." She sighed, "I found out later that that means I can reflect peoples gifts back on themselves, and identify what they are and how they are using them."

"Well then," Jasper said, "two things."

She sighed, "What now?"

"How did you get away from them?" He asked

"Easy, no Chelsea, no bond, without that, they couldn't make me feel like I wanted to be there, so they let me go." She shrugged, it seemed simple enough. They couldn't keep her so rather than killing her, they let her go.

"Hey!" Jasper snapped, "Before we take a walk down memory lane, I still have another question."

"Sorry Jasper," Alex said somewhat sarcastically, "Now, what is it that is _so incredibly important_ that you must ask me _right now?_" Emmett laughed,

"Nice one kid." She smacked the back of his head,

"I have a highly devolved sense of sarcasm, and _I am not a kid!_"

Jasper growled loudly.

"Jeez…" Emmett and Alex said at the same time.

"Okay, what is it, before you get mad and try to kill me." She smirked,

"How did you get all those scars?" He said it in almost accusing way.

Up until that point, we had all been trying to ignore the disturbing resemblance of the scars Alex and Jasper had. Jasper was entirely covered in half crescent scars from his time in the south, but…

Honestly, we all knew Alex had never been in the south. I heard her think about America once she was here, how it was weird being on this continent for the first time. This was a problem, either the kid had amnesia… or there was a significant period of vampire history we where missing.

She frowned, "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that." She murmured very quietly.

"I was a soldier in the south, but you weren't." Jasper explained, "I want to know how you got them, where you came from and _who the hell you really are_." Jasper faced me, glaring; _I won't trust her until I know._

"Six days after I left the Volturi, when I was less than a month old, I wandered into a group of newborns territory without knowing it." She paused very briefly, "I was attacked and nearly killed, they could have killed me. They didn't."

"Why?" Carlisle was unable to stop from asking. She was looking down, but I could see the corner of her lip twitch.

"Because, one of them had a very powerful gift, her name was Felicity, and she could control minds. But she couldn't make me do anything."

_Similar to Bella, except this one can actually take limited control of their gifts._ Carlisle thought, probably on purpose so I could hear.

"They said as long as I joined them they wouldn't kill me, and that it would benefit me to join their army. Of course, I had no idea about really anything involving vampires, the Volturi had taught me almost nothing." She pulled a silver chain out of pocket; it had a small charm on the end,

"A cross?" Carlisle asked curiously.

"Yes," She smiled, "My best friend gave it to me, she protected me for the first couple of months." She put it around her neck, "On the third week I was there, we had our first fight. My friend Mariana helped me stay alive, and she said that one day I would do the same for her."

"Well, two months later, an army that was as big as ours attacked Felicity for the land we had, and the human population it provided. I was much better at protecting my own neck then," The light in her eyes faded for a moment, "but not anyone else's. Mariana was killed, she had given me the cross less than an hour before."

No one said anything, then, "I prayed for her," Alex said, "and I fought to get the vengeance which she could not get for herself. I spent over eighty years with Felicity and her army. I was her closest friend, and her most trusted assistant."

_Like I was to my creator…_ Jasper thought, slightly alarmed at how similar Alex might be to him, and that she was over three years younger than he was and had been through the same hell.

"The Volturi became involved after there was a large and noticeable detriment to human life. When they saw me again…" Her lip curled up and she almost growled, "I knew from the second I saw Demitri's face that they would never give up until I was dead."

Jasper sucked in a sharp breath; this is something he had not had to deal with, "Why did they want you dead?"

She shrugged, "I had power, I refused to join them and we had made an army of newborns. They uh… they thought that either I was one of them, or I was a danger and had to be killed."

_How familiar…_ It was definitely Jasper who thought that.

"What about Sara and your mate?" I asked, without considering that she had thought this and never said it, without considering that this may be overstepping her boundaries.

I figured that out a split second to late to defend myself. There was a single flash of pale white and I was pressed up against a tree, help by my collar and my neck. She was growling, and both Emmett and Jasper where very close.

"Don't do anything stupid, Alex." Carlisle said quietly.

"Alex, I… I didn't consider…" I muttered, "I never meant to… to hear what I-"

"Shut up!" She snapped, "You went into my thoughts," She snarled angrily, "and invaded the secrets I hold closest to me." She stared at me, copper eyes shimmering, as if she would be crying if she could.

"Why…" Her voice was broken and faded.

"Alex, put him down, now." Jasper said very calmly, and we all felt the wave of calm, only I wondered if it would work against her gift. It didn't, I could tell that.

She let go, and I dropped to the ground. Jasper and Emmett immediately stepped forward and grabbed her from behind, pulling her back. She didn't meat my eyes,

"I'm sorry…" She said. She took a deep, shaking breath, "It was wrong for you to filter through my life." I nodded, "But it was wrong for me attack you, I just…" She struggled against Emmett and Jazz, but she probably knew she couldn't get out.

"You what?" Alice asked, walking in front of her,

"I just can't get a grip on what happened that day." She breathed.

"And what was it that happened?" Alice asked, Alex trembled like a scared chilled.

Carlisle nodded to Jazz and Emmett, "It's okay, let her go." She sank onto the ground, held her head in her hands and closed her eyes. She cried quietly without tears. Carlisle put a hand on her shoulder,

"What is it Alex, what happened?" He said softly, trying to comfort her.

She took a shaky breath, "They came you know," she looked up at us, "the Volturi."

_Oh, oh no. The poor child, what has happened to the world, where children can be put through this?_ Carlisle thought very sadly, his felt badly for every one who had been forced into this life.

Alex sniffed, "I should have seen it coming," she said bitterly, "but I didn't."

"You couldn't have, only Alice knows the future..." Jasper sad this, it surprised everyone. He would most closely relate to her, but no one could relate to this.

"I should have been smart enough to _know_ that they would come, and because I didn't…" She shivered, "Because I didn't Sara," she clenched her jaw and then looked at Carlisle, "Sara is dead."

"There would have been very little you could have done if the Volturi came for you." Carlisle said, patting her shoulder,

"There where so many of them, and Jane… Sara was screaming and then she was in pieces…" Alex took a choking breath and continued, "Then… then they turned on Ben."

_Ben?_ Alice thought, _Is that who her mate was?_ I nodded.

"I couldn't stop them, we got away for a split second, and we ran to the water. He told me to go. He said he would be fine, that he would catch up…"

"I told him I wouldn't leave without him, but said we would both die if we stayed and that we both might live if I left… He said he would find a… a way." Her voice broke on the last words.

Alice knelt next to her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "It's okay Alex, its okay."

"But it's not," She choked, "you don't understand." Jasper shifted uncomfortably, the emotional climate here was probably awful for him. It must be so much worse for her, I thought.

"I looked back once," Alex said, "Just once. I saw… I saw Demitri and Felix take him down. There was no way… no way he could live. The rest of the guard was right behind them."

"There was nothing Aro wanted more than to kill me, but if he couldn't do that he thought the next best thing would be to kill my family."

"Alex, that's terrible… I'm sorry." Alice muttered. No one expected it, but Alex suddenly wrapped her arms around Alice in a hug. Jasper shifted nervously.

"Thank you…"

Someone cleared their throat. It was Rose, wrong place wrong time… again. "Are we interrupting something?" She said, but she wasn't being hostile, she was being careful.

Alex snapped up to her feet, nearly knocking over Alice in the process. Esme and Bella where two steps behind Rose, and they gasped in shock when they saw her.

"Who is this Carlisle?" Esme asked trying to seem polite.

"This is Alex; we rescued her from the wolves after she swam here from Europe." Carlisle said, taking Esme's hand.

"You missed the whole story." I said quietly.

"No," Bella answered, taking my hands and kissing my cheek, "we heard the last part, about her family."

Alex hung her head, fought back sobs, and kept her breathing steady.

_Oh,_ Esme thought_ how horrible… so much loss, such a young girl_. "Alex, none of it was your fault and you know that."

She glared, and no one had expected that, "I've heard that from three people today." She said angrily, "None of them even remotely know what it's like to have lost the person they love."

"The only reason I didn't turn back and let the Volturi kill me the _second I knew he was gone_ is because he made me promise that I wouldn't go off myself if he died." Esme was taken aback.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about what I said." She said quickly, Alex groaned,

"Look, I didn't mean to make anyone upset, I'm just having a rotten month." She looked apologetically at Esme, "Sorry."

"I understand, I mean, I don't understand what you feel but I understand why you're upset." Esme said calmly.

Rose had been getting on my nerves this entire time…

_This is stupid, she's just a liability, and uncontrollable, crazy at the scent of blood kid! It doesn't matter what stupid sop story she lived, she's _**not**_ staying!_ Rose was just as shallow as ever…

"Rose," I hissed angrily. Her eyes widened in anger and embarrassment.

"So," Emmett said loudly, "who wants to play baseball today? It's supposed to rain pretty soon."

Alex snorted, "Have fun."

"Aw, kid can't play ball?" Emmett teased,

"I so can!" She said, she was being just as childish as Emmett was… but that was because she _is_ a child. "I just don't really play baseball…" She coughed self-consciously.

"Ha! Just like Bella!" Emmett snorted, "Fine kid, you can sit out." She narrowed her eyes at him,

"I didn't say I don't play sports. You up for a little bet Emmett?" She asked,

"Hell yeah!"

"One on one soccer, fifty bucks I'll win." She smirked.

"You are so on kid." Emmett smiled, "And when I win, you bet find a way to make fifty bucks!"

"When _I_ win, you can't call me a kid anymore because then you'll be saying that a kid can kick your ass at soccer."

"This won't end well." Bella said, looking at how much stronger Emmett was than the tiny, short kid he was standing next to.

"Nope." I agreed

Esme looked over at me from behind Alex,

_She shares a hell with Jasper, and one with you. She felt the depression of fighting all the time, and she lost her mate, like when you left Bella and thought she was dead._

I nodded solemnly, it was true, we had a shared hell. Except, she was still living hers.

**A/N- So… I need feedback! Who should win the soccer match? Emmett or Alex? I have an idea, but it's not final yet! I personally think Emmett needs a lesson, but that doesn't mean Alex has to win, she could tie or even loose… but anyways. I tried really hard to make the whole part with Alex's memories seem real, was it? Anything I did wrong? Please review! Updates will happen once I get five reviews, but I would love to get more!**

**- Akari (that kid from that place)**


	4. Chapter 4 The Game

**A/N**- **So, I have decided the outcome of the game. *Sigh* You see, this is what happens when silly Emmett challenges an ITALIAN to a game of soccer. You must read to find out! Oh and also, someone is being haunted, and the Volturi makes their first appearance. This chapter was somewhat hard for me to write, but I hope you like it!**

Chapter 4- The Game

**Emmett POV- **

She was going to regret challenging me to a game of soccer. Beat me at a sport, this kid? Ha! That was never ever going to happen. She called soccer football twice, and I had to ask whether she was being stupid or not. She said that in Europe, soccer was called football because you play with your foot. It made sense, but still.

"Emmett," Jasper cleared his throat and stepped into my room, "you do know Alex is Italian right?" He asked carefully, frowning,

"Well, yeah." I replied. The kid was Italian, big deal.

"And you know that the Italians are known for having absolutely stellar soccer teams and have gone down in the history books as some of the best soccer players in the world?" He said plainly leaning against me door.

"Oh… crap." I muttered, "No, I didn't know that." She was still a kid though, and I was still awesome at sports, "All it means is that I won't go easy."

Jasper smirked, "Good luck then." I heard Alice laugh in the other room; she probably already knew who was going to win. Why did I have the feeling it wasn't going to be me?

**Bella POV-**

I watched Alex as she laced up her cleats. We where in the guest room, one I had almost never been in except when Alice used it for her clothes. Now it was her room, she had relented and agreed to stay after Alice threatened to drag her through every shop in the entire mall.

"You probably shouldn't wear those inside." I said eyeing the cleats, Alex rolled her ankles,

"I know, I was just making sure they fit." She said and smiled at me, "I didn't have anything but what I was wearing when I got here. Alice looked like she was going to arrest me when I told her that." We both laughed, I was somewhat glad that Alice was distracted from buying me more clothes, but at the same time I felt guilty.

When Alice found out about the soccer match, she went crazy. Alex was dragged through at least ten sports stores, they got new cleats shorts and jerseys, Alice even bought a soccer ball. I thought that was ridiculous, it was bad enough that clothes where one time use to her, but _soccer balls?_

I looked around; Alex's room had practically nothing in it. The walls where white, as was the carper, there was a couch against the wall and a chair in the corner. The was a shelf (white, again with the white) placed up against one wall, and for the first time, I noticed that Alex had placed a picture on it.

It was a picture with three people, her family. They where all smushed together in one big hug, laughing and all smiles. Alex was in the middle, being hugged from the side by her sister Sara, a girl shorter than Alex, with short blond hair, in a style that reminded me of Alice. Alex wore her long hair down, and a pale boy with black hair hanging in his eyes had his arms wrapped around her shoulders. Alex had one arm around her sister and the other lightly on the boys arm. They boy was Ben, he was kissing Alex's cheek and she was smiling and laughing as Sara pushed her over in a hug. This was her family, before the Volturi ruined it.

"What are you looking at?" Alex asked casually, embarrassed I looked away from the photo.

"Uh, sorry I just noticed…" I mumbled, "You guys look like you get along really well." She shot a strained glance over at the picture,

"We did, we where family." She emphasized the past tense. Just then, there was a knock on the door,

"Can I open it?" I asked, seeing as I was leaning on the door. Alex nodded and I opened it, it was Emmett.

"If you're done, I'm ready to beat you in a match of 'football'." He laughed. Alex straightened out her jersey; she was wearing all Adidas world cup soccer stuff that Alice had magically found. To be honest, she looked somewhat intimidating.

She tied her hair back and grabbed her cleats, "Fine. I'm ready."

"To loose?" Emmett smirked, blocking the door; she shoved him out of the way.

"Nope, to win." She said ominously and then took off sprinting towards the baseball field. Emmett and the others followed close behind. I was near the back, not as fast as Edward was by a long shot.

Then I noticed that, everyone was sprinting, but Alex was still in front, and getting further ahead with each step. Alex was faster than Edward was. Alice noticed this as well. We finally caught up,

"Oh snap Edward!" Alice said, as they stepped onto the field, fifteen seconds _after_ Alex who was smirking proudly.

"Wow…" Edward said, "You're… really fast." She bowed theatrically.

"Now," She said pulling out the soccer ball Alice had bought, "I believe Emmett has a game to loose."

"So childish," Edward murmured and squeezed my hand.

Alex tossed the ball up and down twice; something sparkled in the sun on her wrist. It was a blue crystal moon, black thread tying it to her wrist.

"Alright kid, you ready?" Emmett asked,

"A few rules first, because this is one on one, you will be playing every position. Offence, mid, defense, wings and goal. If you are going to take a shot, say 'shot'. If I am in the goal area when you say shot, I can use my hands as the goalkeeper, but at no other time. Other than that, basic soccer rules apply." She turned to face us,

"Who wasn't to be ref?" She asked, Esme volunteered. I almost felt bad for her. Thunder started, and it was time to play as it began to rain.

They placed the ball in the center of the field; they even had goals set up. Edward reminded me that losing was good for Emmett, like those arm wrestling matches god knows how many years ago.

"Ready?" Esme asked, they nodded, "Uh… okay then, go or whatever it is I should say."

Alex hooked the ball around with her foot, before Emmett could even react, she was headed for the goal.

"What the hell?" He sprinted down the field after her. At five one, Alex wasn't very intimidating, but with the scars she was. And, by god, she could play soccer.

"Shot!" She called, Emmett jumped in front of her, but she slid to the side, faking him out and kicking a perfect shot, a loud bang echoed when her foot hit it, just like in baseball.

"Top corner," she smirked, and that's exactly where it went.

After many fake outs, trips, some many yellow cards that they would have both been thrown out of the game, and five shots that seemed to come out of nowhere, the score was 9-2. Alex was winning. She balanced the ball on her foot and smiled,

"Game point Emmett." She said smugly.

She bounced it twice on her knees and kicked it straight up. Emmett jumped forward, looking to snatch the ball, but Alex was quicker. She kicked it as hard as she could, and the ball sailed across the field, landing square in the net.

"Yeah Alex!" Alice cheered enthusiastically, while Emmett muttered every curse I knew and a few I didn't under his breath.

"Fifty bucks Emmett!" Alex said, dancing over to us like she was walking on air.

"Whatever kid, you just got lucky." He growled, Alex snapped the back of his head.

"Remember the deal? No more of this 'kid' stuff." She smiled wide and I laughed.

"Oh, he'll get over it Alex," I said, "and when he does he'll make a point to get revenge."

She laughed even harder, "That might be a little hard for him, he might be fast but he is not quick or quiet." This was true; Emmett was the loudest out of all of us.

Rose faced Alex with tight lips, frowning. "Aw, no hard feelings Rose." Alex smiled innocently.

"My name is Rosalie." She snapped angrily, "But other than that, no hard feelings."

"Guys!" Alice called urgently, I saw Edward tense up next to me and I squeezed his hand.

"What is it?" Jasper and Alex demanded at the same time.

"Volturi!" She gasped, Alex knelt by Alice's side,

"How many?" She growled,

"Two." That was good,

"Who?" Alex asked,

"Jane and Demitri," That was not good.

"Why?" Her last question perplexed me; did it have something to do with her?

"Alex, they said your name." Alice muttered. Alex straightened up and swallowed hard. She looked around anxiously, "Two minutes…"

"Those bastards." She spat angrily, and looked around again.

"Why are they here for you?" Carlisle asked,

"I already told you! I left them, want me back and they have an excuse too! If they can't have me back, they want me dead. They must have followed my scent here."

"I can't believe this!" Rosalie shrieked, looking very mad.

"No time!" Jasper said quickly, "Everyone get ready, they're almost here."

We all tensed, Emmett, Jasper and Edward stepped in front of the rest of us, the best fighters. Without thinking, Alex did the same thing. I kept forgetting that she would be just as good if not better than Jasper in a fight.

I held Nessie close to me protectively. The last time the Volturi came, they wanted my daughter dead. They would not get the chance.

**A/N- Oooo, are you scared? I know, I know, it's a cliffy. But I'm nearly already working on the next one, here's an exert!**

**This is Edward POV-**

"Oh he was very brave. Felix and Demitri had a hell of a time pinning him down." Jane was a sick, sick child I thought to myself. What's more, Jane was truly enjoying this. How… sick.

"I asked him, I gave him a choice. I could kill him, or he could suffer. He did not want to die, he wanted to live, only for you. He suffered… for you. What a waste." Jane snarled in Alex's ear.

**Now, doesn't that make you want to read the next chapter? I hope you will. Another thing, twenty-two people have read my story as of the 21****st**** of April. Now, that's great in my opinion but, damn, only one of you reviewed? I am so disappointed… I really do want your reviews people! I publish three chapters in one day *sniff* and this is what I get?! Well… just review. And read the next chapter to find out what happens after the cliffy!**

**REVIW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**-Akari**


	5. Ch 5 Painful Words, Torturous Memories

**A/N- Okay, I apologize for the cliffy, but you know what? I will write a cliffy if I want to! Haha, I dunno, I was just trying to build the suspense! Okay, the haunting stuff that wasn't in the last chapter is in this one. So basically, this chapter, Jane is a jerk, Demitri is in trouble, Alex is going insane and Rose is shallow. Oh, someone said I should put a disclaimer. So…**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, I don't own jack really. All I own is this lil' story! (Happy?)**

**xOxO –Akari**

**Chapter 5- Painful Words, Torturous Memories**

**Edward POV-**

Jane and Demitri emerged from the shadows, and froze at the sight of all of us. I stepped in front of Bella and Nessie cautiously.

"Alex." Demitri regarded her coolly,

"Demitri, Jane." She said just as icily. Jane smiled,

"I didn't think you would have the spunk to go on Alex, I'm surprised. Especially that you found some other silly vegetarians to run around with." She said, Alex growled angrily.

"You see Alex; your sister was rather pathetic." Jane continued, "She was a poor excuse for a vampire, I killed her without any help, she hardly put up a good fight. It wasn't even enjoyable."

Gasps rang out from our line. Alex glared without words, her hands in clenched fists so tight that her knuckles stuck out. Jasper put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Ben was much more fun." Jane continued and Alex stiffened.

"Jane, if you want to keep your miserable head attached to your shoulders, shut up." Alex snarled.

"Oh, but you should know, wouldn't you like to know how your mate died?" Jane smiled as Alex paled more than I thought was possible.

_That bitch better not…_

"Oh he was very brave. Felix and Demitri had a hell of a time pinning him down." Jane was a sick, sick child I thought to myself. What's more, Jane was truly enjoying this.

_Sick, I am going to be sick._ Alex thought, her head was spinning.

"Ben even managed to bite Demitri; he was such a courageous vampire." She stepped very close to Alex. "I tortured him," she breathed, "I drew out his pain until he screamed, because he did not scream at first. No, he took it in silence, for you." She laughed very quietly in Alex's ear.

_Jane. Will. Die. Just keep telling yourself that, she's going to die. Don't do something stupid now, don't make the Cullens regret helping you._ She thought grinding her teeth.

"I listened to his pain, and I laughed. I made him writhe in agony for hours and hours. It was enjoyable, the sound of his pain." She said, her voice hypnotizing, she was inches from Alex, and they where the same height. Jane smiled,

"I asked him, I gave him a choice. I could kill him, or he could suffer. He did not want to die, he wanted to live, only for you. He suffered… for you. What a waste." Jane snarled in Alex's ear. "Only when he was so broken that he couldn't hold himself up, only after I tortured him to the point of insanity, after many of his bones where broken did I kill him." She said plainly, heartlessly.

_Make it stop!_ Alex cried out to me in her mind, Jasper stared at her,

_Edward, if Jane doesn't shut up Alex is going to loose it or go insane… or both._ There was nothing I could do, I wasn't going to start a fight.

"Jane, stop." I said, she ignored me.

"When he knew I was going to kill him, he said your name. You _left_ him you know. If you had stayed, you could have saved him. But you didn't." She laughed quietly, "I was the one who killed him you know. Not Demitri, not Felix, not anyone else. They let me do it, they said I was in no danger from a creature so broken."

"He was so pathetic by the end, after three days of torture." Jane shrugged, "It was amusing to watch him go insane under my gift. I loved every second."

Alex's face was blank; there was no life in her eyes, just shock. Jane leaned in, her teeth less than an inch from Alex's ear.

"I killed him Alex." She whispered, "I held Ben up and tore him into pieces with my teeth, I did it slowly. Killing him only after I had drawn it out as long as possible. He cried out in pain Alex, and do you know what he cried for?" Jane paused and touched Alex's shoulder, Alex did not flinch,

"He cried for you. He knew he was going to die, and when he could bare it no more, I bit down on his neck. You should think of me as merciful, they wanted to continue torturing him."

_Oh,… oh lord. That's repulsive! _Esme thought horrified, _The child does not need to hear this._ I nodded, agreeing. Carlisle's thoughts where not far off. We where all repulsed and disgusted by what we where hearing. But I was reading Jaspers thoughts, and what he was sensing, what she was feeling, was beyond bearable.

"If you join us," She whispered, "You can have his ashes." After Jane said that, _I_ wanted to kill her. It was beyond to much.

Everyone was silent, and then Jane laughed in Alex's face. Jane slapped her. It was worse than watching someone kick a puppy.

"That is it!" Alex screamed and tore from Jasper's grip, lounging for Jane's throat. "You miserable bitch!" She yelled.

"Demitri!" Jane called,

_No!_ Carlisle thought, _they'll kill her! _"Stop them!" Carlisle yelled, Jasper Emmett and I leapt forward. I caught Demitri in mid air before he got to Jane.

"I tortured him!" Jane shrieked at Alex, fighting to hold her back, she faltered for only a split second, and Alex took the opportunity. There was a sickening crack as the two girls collided. _Someone_ broke _something_.

"I killed him!" Jane yelled, and with that, Alex killed her. The high-pitched keening noises where as awful as they had ever been. Jasper tossed her a match; I don't know where he got it from. She struck it, and what was left of Jane was blazing in seconds.

Demitri howled and fought against Emmett and me, "You want to be next?" I snarled,

"Aro will hear about this!" He snapped, "You will all die!" He broke free and ran,

"Let him go." I said quietly, "Either way we have a serious problem."

We where all concerned, about Demitri, the Volturi, and especially Alex. Esme was the first to approach her, she was about to put a hand on her shoulder but withdrew, unsure.

_What can we say…there are no words to describe what she must be feeling… I can't believe Jane said all that._ She thought sadly.

"Alex?" Alice asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

"No." She said softly, "I'm glad I killed her… she deserved to die." She took a shaky breath, "She killed him."

Alice threw her arms around Alex, but she just stood there. "You're hurting my arm." She said in an empty, ghostlike voice after a minute. That didn't make sense, how could a hug hurt her arm…

"I think it's broken." She said very quietly. Oh, I blinked. That's how. That was the snap that everyone heard. Bella shivered.

"Alex, let me see if there's anything I can do to help." Carlisle said calmly she faced him with empty eyes. Her breathing quivered, and then she stopped breathing all together to stop from crying. She extended her arm, wincing as she did it.

Carlisle gently hold it and tried to feel for a break, half way down her forearm her arm was slightly crooked. She whimpered quietly.

"That's defiantly broken," He said, "probably in more than one place." He methodically readjusted the bones, "I'm just lining them up so it will heal straight." Alex nodded mutely. "It will heal in a day or two, but when we get back I am going to give you a cast. Just to be safe."

Alex was very quiet during the run back. She didn't even try to lead, running much slower than we knew she could. As soon as we where back, she faded into the shadows, after Carlisle put a short cast on her arm, she went upstairs to the guest room, her room.

It was very quiet downstairs to. No one spoke much, we all thanked god that we had someone we loved, and that they where still alive. Nessie called Jacob, but other than that we sat in silence. No one could relate, she knew that, so she locked herself in her room and cried.

No one thought it was pathetic; no one thought it was stupid or sad. Not like Jane. I had spent months without Bella, and each day was a different hell in itself. I can't even begin to describe the those days when I _thought_ she was dead. That was three days, and she was alive. It wasn't permanent. This was real, she _knows_ that her mate is dead and it's going to stay that way for the rest of _eternity_.

She tried to hide her thoughts out of courtesy, but that didn't stop me from hearing them.

_She killed him… he's gone… I'll never see Ben again. I'll never hear his voice, see his smile…_ We all heard a sharp breath from upstairs, _ever again._

"What is she thinking about?" Esme asked me, she didn't want to intrude, she wanted to help.

"She's thinking about Ben." I said, "She misses him…" I didn't know what else to say.

"Of course she does," Rose snorted, "but is it really best for her to stay here now? Like this and with the Volturi after her?"

"You would rather we kick her out to face the Volturi alone?" Esme asked horrified, "That's dooming her to be tortured and killed like they did to her mate!"

"It would keep us safe!" She snapped, "What has she ever done for us?"

"She was willing to be a vegetarian and live by our rules!" I snarled, "She left everything behind to come here. She's made Alice happy, and she is a good friend, she's trustworthy and she would fight for us harder than you would!" I said out of anger and frustration.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" She yelled at me

"Because we're all she has _left!!_" I spat, furious, "She has lost _everything_ and you want us to kick her out?!"

"Rosalie," Carlisle said clearing his throat, "we will not leave her. We took her in, she's our responsibility." She huffed,

"Rose," Emmett said, putting an arm around her waist, "She's three years younger than you, she's a kid."

"Rose, I can't believe you." Alice said scornfully. Rosalie huffed and sat down in the living room.

From upstairs there was a loud shattering noise, and we all heard cracking class. We all heard a muffled shout from upstairs.

"Go!" Alice yelled, she was running upstairs as fast she could. The door was locked when she tried to turn it. Jasper was next up the stars and forced it open.

Alex was huddled in the corner her hand over her mouth, staring with horror at something on the ground. Three feet from a jagged hole in the window there was what looked like military dog tags? Jasper was about to pick them up when she stopped him,

"Don't touch those!" She shouted and was on her feet.

"What? What's wrong with them?" He demanded,

"They're Ben's… Demitri just threw them in the window with that note." She pointed to a piece of paper folded across the silver writing on the tags.

_This was his. You're next. –Demitri_

"That's mildly disturbing…" Alice mumbled, and she picked up the tags. They were attached to a silver chain, "Alex, what the heck are these?"

"Read them." She whispered.

Alice read them aloud, "Benjamin Acer, Poland." She paused, "Well what does _that_ mean?!"

"Ben," Alex said, "lived in Poland during the second world war. There where many air raids, and everyone, not just the military was given dog tags. So they could identify bodies if they where killed."

"He was fifteen when he and his brothers where driving through town, the only thing he remembers is glass flying everywhere. He doesn't know who changed him." She took the dog tags in her hand and put them around her neck, with the cross. Two lost vampires, two necklaces. "I met him when he was traveling through Europe, he was a nomad." She sniffed and smiled to herself, for about a half second.

"Um…" Alex said, shifting nervously, "I'm going hunting." She declared suddenly and ran out of the room. If she were human, she would be fighting back tears.

"You want anyone to come with you?" Alice asked

"No." She sighed, "I'll go alone." She slipped out the front door and disappeared into the woods.

Rose snorted, "Well that was nice. Now we have a broken window, the Volturi stalking us and all we got where some stupid dog tags."

"Shut up Rose!" Alice snapped and stalked out, both annoyed and disappointed.

**Alice POV-**

I can't believe Rose could be so… so… shallow and self-centered! Ah! What a jerk, what mean, stupid jerk. I felt bad for Alex, we all did, except Rose. The girl had no _heart!_ Alex brushed by me on her way out, she met my eyes for a split seconds.

"Well, we should probably fix the window." Emmett grumbled,

"Oh, you think?" I said sarcastically.

I stormed out of the room and went down the hall to mine, slamming the door behind me. I stared out the window; my room had the best view of all. It used to be Edwards, but when I moved in, he was moved out. I flopped over onto the couch face down a muffled a girlish shriek of frustration.

The door opened quietly behind me,

"Alice?" Jasper asked. I sighed,

"Yeah?" I said into the only pillow on the couch.

Jasper sat down next to me and rubbed my shoulder, "Alice, cheer up. Rose is just being superficial because she doesn't want the Volturi coming." He said in my ear.

"I know," I said turning over and facing him, "I just don't think it's necessary for someone to get hurt in the process." His dark copper eyes searched my face for more answers.

"It's not a perfect world." He said very quietly, "Some people get everything they ever wanted, a family and the love of their life," He stroked my cheek carefully, slowly, "And some people get that taken away from them and loose everything."

"It's not fair though," I mumbled.

"I know Alice, I know." He said softly, brushing some of my hair aside and out of my eyes.

I had never really lost anything, I didn't remember the pain of the transformation, and I can't remember my past, so I never missed anyone. I saw Jasper not to long after the change and almost everything was perfect from then on, with a few bumps. Jasper was perfect right from the start, I knew he had a shady past but it never mattered to me. He was everything I could have ever wanted, and more.

I sighed and leaned my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead gently. "Jazz?" I asked quietly,

"Mhm?" He mumbled into my hair,

"You and Alex are similar." I said very quietly, "What was it like, those years in the south?" Jasper and I had no secrets, but there where things we didn't talk about.

"It was… very numbing." He whispered, "Even though my life was in constant danger, everything was the same, and nothing was worth much." He held me close in his arms, he had told me many times that I had brightened his life and given him the first happiness, he had experienced since he was human.

I shivered, "That's so terrible…" He stroked my cheek,

"But it didn't last, and I have you." Jasper placed his arm across my shoulders, "And that has made all the difference." I smiled and kissed his cheek. He leaned in and kissed my lips very softly. Suddenly, I wasn't in my room anymore,

_The trees where thinning, the air smelled different, as if it was thinning. The smells of wild bears drifted towards my nose…_

"Alice?" Someone was calling my name, but it was like a whisper fading away and barely reaching my ear.

_There was a faint noise, crunching, a girl twirled on her feet into a crouch, white scars lacing over her skin, it was her most dominating feature._

"Alice, Alice!" Two voices now calling my name, I barely felt the hand shaking my shoulder.

_There was a flash of white and grey, and then the frightening girl was surrounded by six grey cloaks. She staggered backward, holding a silver chain around her neck as if they would try to steal it._

"What do you see? Alice! Can you hear me?" The vision dominated, and their voices faded into a grey mist.

_The girl snarled once and the persons surrounding her inched forward, in one quick movement, she was engulfed by them. Grey cloaks filled the entire view…the girl was struggling beneath them._

The vision faded and I came back, gasping. I surpassed a small shriek of terror that was left by the feeling of the vision. I looked up. Everyone was hovering around me.

"Alice, was that who I think it was?" Edward asked,

"Yes." I said, just realizing the truth of what I had seen with my own eyes. "I can't say how long until it happens..."

"Think back to the beginning," Edward said quickly, "the mountains."

I went back concentrating, the mountains where jagged and rocky, above the tree line and covered in snow. The mountains spanned everywhere, everywhere. It was extremely cold, and clouds where not above, but below.

"I'd take the wild guess of Canadian Rockies." I mumbled, feeling defeated already. That was very far away; it would take us thirty minutes of running straight, without stopping.

"Then we'd better get going." Jasper growled. I realized something then, even though Alex had only hung out around the edges of our family, she was one of us. She was the 'baby sister' of our family, the one everyone looked after. She never knew it, but we all loved her as if she was one of us from the start.

We where so close, the towering mountains where in view. Alex's faint scent hung in the air, it took her less than twenty minutes to get here, she got here faster than any of us could ever hope to.

"Which one Alice?" Carlisle asked me pointing to the mountains. I looked around, searching for the one in my vision. Then I saw her.

Alex was sitting in the snow far away, near the top of a distant peak. Grey cloaked Volturi where swiftly and quietly approaching behind her. I screamed and pointed.

I pushed myself as hard as I could to get up, but the terrain was rocky and hard. I heard a snap, the one in my vision! "We're too late!" I called franticly, and I heard a shrill scream, so close, but to far away.

"No!" Emmett growled, he and Jasper sprinted forward, I was right behind them. We reached the top, and she wasn't there. The Volturi's scent was quickly disappearing into the clouds bellow.

"Oh no…" I whispered, bending over and picking up a bracelet. Black rope with a blue crystal moon and a silver plate, carved into it where the words 'my angel'. A lump rose in my throat, I held the broken bracelet up for my family to see. Jasper held a gold cross numbly in his hand, its chain broken in half. Our eyes met,

"She must have lost them in some kind of struggle." Jasper said bitterly.

"All but the dog tags…" I whispered. We began to search for Alex's scent or any evidence of a recent fire. If she had been killed, all we could hope to look for would be ashes. Emmett was back with Edward,

"Her scent doesn't go past here; the Volturi must have taken her and disappeared." Emmett stated,

"Odds are, she's not dead then?" Carlisle asked.

"She's not dead," Edward said, "at least not yet."

**A/N- Okay so, I hope you got my hatred for Jane. Thanks for reading, and I know that I might be updating a bit faster than you guys thought, but I'm on spring break and it takes me about 30 min. per chapter. Expect more updates soon! Hope you liked this chapter! The next one will start in Alex's POV, don't you want to know what happened to her????**

**-Akari B.**


	6. Chapter 6 Forced

**A/N- Sorry for not updating, I had to take SAT's and blah blah blah, point is I was way swamped and had no time. Anyways this chapter- Alex is back in Volterra, some memories and pictures are found, and there's a nice little twist to.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight, I don't own jack really, except this lil' story right here.**

Chapter Six- Forced

**Alex POV-**

I was completely alone on my mountain, sitting here so peaceful. Clouds far below, the sun shone brightly washing over my face. There where no humans so there was no need to worry. I was relaxed. I was unwinding and coping better than I had when I was at home.

Home.

Did I really think of the Cullen's house as home? I had nowhere else to go, and I lived there. But, home implied family. Was I ready to call the Cullen's family? Did they even accept me at all? I wondered idly if I would ever fit in anywhere, especially after my family. We where so… so close, we understood each other perfectly and we always got along. My family never argues. I sighed and inhaled deeply. Something was off… there was a snapping sound behind me.

I tensed and looked around, seven vampires cloaked in grey. The Volturi. I gulped and held Ben's dog tags close to me. No matter what happens, I would not loose them. I remembered how he always wore them, no matter what he was doing. He would where them when he went hunting, when he went swimming, when he held me in his arms. I would _never_ let them go. I took half a step back, and they jumped.

I was on my back, or not, I couldn't tell. I was completely engulfed in grey. Struggling and lashing out, kicking and biting anything that moved, I fought hard against my attackers. I heard someone how and felt the cast on my arm crack in two. I screamed as I felt my arm crack with it. Fighting madly, I felt a stone hard grip come down on my neck.

"Silence!" Felix snarled. I gasped, unable to breathe, not that I needed it…

"Kill me then!" I choked out, "I have nothing left."

"Oh," He said, "but that's why we're not going to kill you. You don't fear death at this point, the one thing you fear is having to live an eternity without the one you love."

"You're not the only ones who can kill vampires…" I gasped; it was hard to talk with him crushing my neck.

"This is why you will join the Volturi." He sneered.

Venom welled in my mouth, I spit in his face, "Never." He laughed,

"You're not being given a choice." I stared at him, shocked, "Alex, we are forcing you to join us. There is no way out, no escape." He chuckled as the truth sank in, watching my expression with a sick delight that reminded me of Jane. I was going to live forever… with them… without Ben. Felix slapped my shoulder and let go of my neck, "Welcome to the guard. Kid."

Someone grabbed my wrist and clamped down hard. A horrible pain seared up my arm, my head whirled and I collapsed. The only thing I could think of was… the Cullens.

What the crap?! I thought to myself angrily. Where was the soldier in me going, where was my kick ass, rebellious, I refuse to-take-no-for-an-answer attitude? Was it on _vacation?_ I searched with my mind for gifts, to see what knocked me down. Whatever it was, I was still down.

I suddenly felt the gift that was affecting me. It was like nothing I had experienced before, it was something actually reaching out and controlling my body. Sort of like what I did, except controlling the body not the person's gifts.

I tried to concentrate, to lift it off me, but I couldn't. I couldn't wake myself up from this trance. I was horrified and scared. For the first time in my life I felt completely defeated. I was scared. For the first time I needed someone, I needed someone to guide me. I thought about Carlisle. I wasn't part of his family… could I be? Would they even want a freak like me? Whether or not I was one of them, I had to face one of the scariest truths of my life-

I could not fight my way out of this, I need help!

God knows how many hours later-

My head ached horribly. Where was I? Was my head on concrete? Well no duh it hurt, it was concrete under my head! I took the tiniest breath and smelled vampires all around me. This was not good. I opened one eye, I was on the ground, not good. I stood up very quickly to protect my back.

I felt something tugging at my arm when I moved, a sleeve. Looking down I saw a grey cloak. I was… I was wearing a grey cloak!

Crap.

Even though I knew it couldn't possibly be a dream (The whole, can't sleep, can't dream issue) I still hoped that it had been.

I tore the cloak off and threw it on the ground. Ah, jeans and a tee shirt, so much better. Looking around, the surroundings where completely disorienting. I had been at the end of a hall, completely composed of cobblestones and marble. Felix stood behind me; he put his hand on my shoulder, gripping harder than he needed to.

"If you try to run…" He trailed off threateningly, I was about to say something incredibly rude back to him when a slight movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

"You're not going to threaten to kill Alex are you?" A soft whispering voice inquired. It rang several bells in my memory. Several unhappy bells.

"Of course not master." Felix mumbled as Aro approached, his shield flittering nervously by his side.

"Alex," He said fondly, "I have missed you. It has been some time since we last talked." He stopped about five feet from me, unsure whether on not it was alright to embrace me or not. I'm glad he didn't try; it would not be alright with me.

"Yeah," I drawled sarcastically, "usually you send one or more of your cronies and they don't do much talking." Maybe I shouldn't have said that, it earned me several growls from around the room.

Aro frowned, "Yes, well… I have many things to attend to here." He glanced at Felix quickly before continuing, "Alex, you killed my little Jane." He murmured, as if Jane was his daughter and he was the mourning father. _As if._

"Your little Jane killed my Ben." I snarled back, almost in his face. I took one-step forward, resisting the urge to reach out and punch him. I felt Felix's arms wrap around mine, restraining me.

"An eye for an eye?" He asked me, raising one eyebrow. He didn't wait for my answer, "A life for a life then. That's what it was?"

"Yeah, that and-" Felix cut me off, almost crushing my fractured arm. I bit down hard on my tongue to stop from wincing. A familiar burn raced up my arm as another hand clamped down on my wrist. Clenching my teeth until they made a grinding sound, I snarled.

When I opened my eyes, it was not some newborn hanging onto my wrist, it was a face I knew, no… it was similar. The face of Jane Volturi, only stretched a little more, the body a little taller and the hair longer and darker. They must be related.

"Alex, meet Clarissa Volturi, blood relative of Jane." Aro said, looking almost worried. I barely heard him, my head was whirling. The kid had a gift like Jane. That was for sure. However, it got to you through skin contact, and I couldn't touch it. I couldn't remove or control it.

"Nice to meet you." I snarled sarcastically, pulling out my harshest growl. She glared at me with empty eyes. The eyes of someone who had lost, I knew those eyes. I had those eyes…

"Alex!" A voice called, Marcus walked in, and for once he didn't look bored. He looked… almost as if he was happy. He was not smiling, nothing about his posture suggested happiness, but I knew Marcus.

"Marcus." I nodded casually.

Marcus was not a friend… he was more like an uncle, or someone whom I relied on when I was young. After Aro discovered my talent, it was left to Marcus to help me cope with my new life. He was very apologetic, and merciful. He said I reminded him of his daughter who was killed, but he said that when he didn't think I was listening. He was very kind to me for the few days… weeks I don't know how long I actually stayed in the Volturi.

_He _walked over and gave me a hug, kissing my cheek. I almost smiled. Almost. If I wasn't kidnapped, if Ben wasn't dead, if I didn't have a broken arm, if my life didn't suck, and if I wasn't being forced to rejoin 'the family' I would have smiled.

He stepped back and looked at me, "What has happened to you?" he asked shocked, looking at me with the 'concerned father' look.

"Oh," I shrugged, "You know, a couple crazy newborn armies here and there, a few vengeful ones out for revenge. The same old same old really." I smirked. He looked at me sadly, and for a second I knew what he was seeing.

My face, my arms, everything, covered in scars. In many eyes, ruined and dangerous. His daughter, I had seen a painting, actually did look a lot like I did as a human. I couldn't help but remember…

_The sunset by the boat dock, I sat on the edge, my feet dipping into the water, making patterns in the ripples. A woman came up behind me and asked where she was, I responded, "It matters not where you are, but where you are going," I said in flawless Italian, then paused before answering and saying she was in Volterra. She sat down beside me, magnificently pale and beautiful, the dark pools of her eyes where pretty against the stars._

_Someone called her name, and she looked back, a pale man emerged form the shadows, his voice was soft and distant; he seemed to float when he walked. "Heidi," he asked, "who is this?"_

"_Alexandria," I said smiling softly, my parents had taught me to be like that, polite and soft. "But everyone who knows me calls me Alex." I smiled and two more pale figures walked up. "Who are your friends?" I asked,_

"_Oh, well you just met Heidi, I'm Marcus, and those are Alec and Jane, and that is Aro." He said, smiling at me. Jane reached over to shake my hand, but when she did, she shrieked and recoiled._

"_Oh!" I said, bewildered, "Are you okay?" She straightened up and glared at me, all of the pale family around me stiffened in what seemed to be pain. Aro chuckled,_

"_How interesting," The one called Aro mused, stepping forward. "May I take your hand, Alexandria?" He asked politely, I didn't know what to say really, but it was just like a handshake._

"_Uh, I don't see why not." I mumbled, he took my hand, moving faster than I could imagine was possible. I gasped and tried to pull away, _

"_It's okay Alex." Marcus said soothingly placing a hand on my shoulder, "There's nothing to fear." I trembled until he grasped my other hand and rubbed it soothingly, like my father always did._

"_How interesting," Aro repeated, "I heard nothing, absolutely nothing from her but everything from you, dear Jane." He said, astounded._

"_Like a mirror," Alec put in, "She's reflecting both you and Jane onto others, without even knowing." They all walked a little closer and I shrunk back, standing near the edge of the dock._

"_Master," Alec said calmly, "would you like someone to make her one of us?" he asked casually as they got closer and closer, my feet tapped the edge of the wood and I teetered for a second._

"_Yes." As the word was spoken, I stumbled, my foot slipping out from behind me. A pale arm reached out so fast that I was scared it would hurt me, but it locked securely on my wrist and pulled me back. For a second I was grateful, and I looked into the eyes of Alec. He held my arm tightly,_

"_Alec, please, let go." I whimpered, trying to pull my arm away, he smiled, showing his teeth and I cowered. "Let go!" I said firmly, tugging hard against him. More pale members of this family walked forward. _

_Panic crept into my bloodstream; I could feel my heart beating faster. Alec's hold tightened on my arm, his grip was like stone. He leaned very close to me and inhaled,_

"_Are you sure, Master? I wouldn't mind if you chose not to keep this one…" He trailed off. I shivered, still trying to get him to release my arm._

"_No." Aro said firmly, "We keep this one." Alec frowned for a second, a split second. Then, he pulled my arm hard and I flew towards him, my back into his chest. His hard white teeth crushed to my neck, biting down hard._

_I screamed, cried out in pain. His other hand covered my mouth, my scream lasted less than a second. His head was bent over my neck; something hot and wet was dripping down my neck. Blood? I pushed against Alec as hard as I could, but it was like trying to move a mountain, he was so strong._

"_Alec, that's enough." Marcus said, irritated, some short but agonizingly long time later. But Alec did not release me, I felt his teeth clench down harder on my neck._

"_Alec, stop, you're killing her!" Aro snapped. There was no reaction from Alec. I felt another pair of arms, tearing Alec off me. He growled like an animal, like nothing I had heard before. I saw a mere glimpse of his bright red eyes before I felt his arms release me._

"_Is it possible… that she is his singer?" Someone asked. My head whirled, as soon as nothing was holding me up, I collapsed, right into strong arms. _

"_Well… he did nearly kill her." Marcus said slowly, picking me up and looking at my neck, "But I don't think it will effect the change, there's plenty of venom in her blood now." He said, he sounded bitter. He looked at me with apologetic eyes. They where black… they all had black eyes. My blood dripped onto his pale arm, his eyes focused on it for a split second, but in that split second, I realized what they where…_

"_Vampire…" I murmured in Italian, m voice very quiet, but all heads turned to me. Blood continued to drip from my neck, it was everywhere. So much blood… I was feeling dizzy._

_Everything was turning dark… colors blurred. My eyes closed without my permission and I floated._

_I was woken soon by the burning; I was in a different place. The pale family was still there, and I was afraid. Soon, that didn't matter. The burning was overwhelming, and I wasn't scared that they would kill me; I wanted them to kill me._

_I held my head in my hands and fought the screams that rose in my throat. I screamed anyway. I cried too, I knew I would never see my father again. My mother had died a long time ago, my father loved me very much and I loved him. I was completely unaware of the arm around my shoulder; all I knew was the burning._

_When it finally ended, it was Marcus who was standing nearest to me. As soon as my eyes opened, I heard Felix step in front of him. I stood slowly and looked at them all with knew eyes, a dull ache in my throat. I knew._

_Marcus stepped forward, "Welcome Alexandria," he smiled, a brilliant white smile, "To the world of vampires." I was not afraid of Marcus. When Aro touched my hand, I heard some of his thoughts. He was more reserved than the others, more caring than the surface suggested. I feared the others._

"_Alex." I reminded him, with that, he took my hand and led me to where the others where. There where introductions and hugs, but I could not fight the feeling… the feeling I wanted to leave._

That was how it all started, and now, I thought sourly, I have returned. I was not a sweet little girl. I was a soldier. Marcus was not my father. He was an acquaintance, and not an enemy.

"Ah," Marcus sighed, "So much has changed, Alexandria!" I frowned but he dismissed this, "I am so sorry for your loss." My jaw clenched and I crossed my arms over my chest impatiently, "But, you replace the one who you killed, so, you are returning to us! Our little Alexandria has come back!"

"'Your' Alex?" I snarled, leaning forward. "I'm no one's to control," I spat, "not even yours." He looked taken aback, but I was making this statement, here and now.

"You may have taken me here," I continued, "but that does not mean you control me, it doesn't mean I'll cooperate, and it does _not_ mean you own me." I glanced around, "I will find a way to get out again Aro," I threatened lowering my voice, "It's just a matter of time."

I stepped back and smirked; Aro slowly bent over and picked up my grey cloak. "Until then," He said, and extended his hand. I glared,

"Until then, don't expect me to co-operate." I snarled, he sighed and someone draped the cloak over my shoulders from behind.

"It suits you well, Alexandria." He said,

"Alex!" I snapped and stalked out of the room, throwing the hood over my head. If I was wearing it, I was hiding my face. I smiled to myself a little; I was going to give them hell. Until they killed me, I would give them hell. I would have fun with this. I walked out with an evil grin.

What's worth the prize is always worth the fight. I was going to make life hell, and enjoy death. I walked straight out of the castle and into Volterra.

Wearing my cloak I walked into the middle of town square and then reached into my pocket. Tearing off my cloak, I threw it on the ground and lit it on fire. People stopped and stared at me,

"You all think the Volturi are saints." I growled in Italian, "They are murderers and thieves." With that said I spat on the burning cloak and turned, walking back to the waiting Alec.

**Alice POV-**

I stood there, her necklace in my hand, waiting to see where she was going, waiting for a vision. Nothing happened. Then I finally saw it.

Alex, standing in the center of town, lighting a cloak on fire, she spoke Italian. I didn't speak Italian but she sounded driven, as if she was trying to spark a revolution. She was smiling as she walked back towards Alec.

"That kid has serious spunk." Edward chuckled.

"As long as she doesn't get killed for it…" I said, nervously fiddling with the golden cross that belonged to her.

"So, where are we off to next?" Emmett asked, tapping his foot impatiently for being excluded in our little mental conversation.

"We _are_ going to Volterra." I said firmly, looking directly at Rose. "Look, Rose, I don't care what you think, she's one of us. She's just as much my sister as you are."

Jasper put a hand on my shoulder, "I'm with Alice."

"No surprise there." She snorted, and then looked pointedly at Emmett.

"I'm with Alice to." Bella announced, and walked over next to me, to stand by my side. It looked like this would be a vote.

"Me to," Edward stood next to Bella and clapped me on the back lightly. Nessie followed almost immediately.

Silently, Carlisle and Esme stood up and walked over to us, leaving just Rose and Emmett. Emmett looked at Rose and then looked at us,

"Rose…" he said quietly and took her hand, "come on, just look at it their way. We're all sort of attached to the kid, and she needs our help."

"She can fight for herself!" Rose snapped,

"If she was your child," Esme said slowly, "Would you still leave her?" Rose looked up, "She really is just a child, and you just push her away…" Esme continued, "If you really wanted a child so badly, why don't you take her under your wing and try to help her overcome her past?"

Rose looked dumbstruck. "I never thought of it like that…" She muttered,

"Alex may be rough around the edges," Esme said, "but she's still a child."

"Alright," Rose said after a long pause, "I'm with you." Just as a shout came from upstairs,

"_GUYS!_" I heard Renesmee yell from upstairs. "You have got to see this!" She rushed down the stairs and bounded up to us, showing us a picture, in a black album.

"Oh… my… god." Jasper stammered.

The picture was one of twenty-four vampires, all with bright red eyes except for two, Alex and who we presumed to be Felicity. All of them where covered in scars. They stood together, arms crossed glaring out at something not within the view of the photo. _Each day is a gift and not a given right._ These words where etched into the photo.

"The army…" Edward muttered, "That can't be, photography wasn't around a hundred years ago. This has to be more recent." He turned the photo over, where there was a date.

_December 15, 1997_ We all stared. It was only 2013! (**A/N, this is set in the future after BD, so Nessie is fully-grown)** This photo was taken around twenty years ago… Alex hadn't left the armies when she said she had.

We flipped through more photos, many red-eyed vampires disappeared as time advanced, Jasper knew they where killed. In addition, as the photos progressed, more scars appeared on the bodies of Felicity and Alex. The photos started with neither Felicity nor Alex having many scars, by the tenth photo, Alex had one cutting down from her eyebrow, across her eye and ending at her cheek, and about a hundred all over her arms and neck.

There were a total of thirteen photos, the last six included Ben. The first one with him, he was spray-painting a skull and cross bones over a Nazi flag. He was looking up at the camera and laughing, silver dog tags around his neck.

One of the photos was just one of Alex and Ben, probably taken by Sara. It was raining heavily, both of them where soaked. Ben was twirling Alex around in his arms, both her feet off the ground. Alex was laughing and smiling.

"And!" Nessie declared proudly, "I found _these!_" She pulled out a journal, "It has only four entries, but…" she trailed off and flipped through, "Check this out, _'I would never hesitate to attack if someone confronted my family, that's not like me. I spent my entire life trying to be strong. I'm not Alexandria any more, and I'm proud of it. My coven thinks of me as courageous and I've never shown fear or weakness since I ran from Volterra. Then he came, and he makes my knees feel weak every time he smiles at me. Ben is the only person who could ever make me fall apart.'_ That one is dated six years back."

"Did you find anything else?" I asked, already seeing her answer I continued, "Yeah well, what is it?"

Nessie pulled out a black cell phone. "It's not mine." She said smiling; I took it in my hand and flipped it open. Four missed calls… all from within the hour, about ten minutes apart each.

I showed it to everyone, "Recognize the number?" I asked, no one did. Just as I was about to scold Nessie fro rifling through Alex's stuff it rang.

It rang twice before I picked it up, curiosity won me over.

"Hello? Alex? Look I know I'm calling from Ben' phone, I'm sorry, but this is urgent!" A worried female voice with an Irish accent said into the phone.

"Uh… hello, Alex isn't… here. Who's calling?" I said lamely, shooting Carlisle, a 'help me' look. I had no clue what to say.

"Oh. Um… sorry, this is Felicity Cane, her sister. Who are you?" The voice said almost accusingly.

"Alice. Alice Cullen." I stammered. Felicity sighed in exasperation,

"Well tell Alex I don't think Ben is dead before she goes and kills herself or does some other stupid thing."

"Why do you think that?"

"I passed his scent when I was out hunting, it was fresh." She said, "Look, I have to go, I can't talk, I'll call back later. Take care of Alex." She hung up.

I snapped the phone shut and looked out to my family. "We need to step up those plans to Italy; Ben might not be dead after all."

**A/N- Oh, cliffy! So, I'm sorry again for not updating, but unfortunately updates are going to be slower now, it's spring and I have school, horseback riding competitions to go to, et cetera, et cetera. PEACE OUT!!! -Akari Bakhad**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven- Saving Graces

**Alex POV-**

Everything… gone… I was losing my grip on everything. My sanity was slipping, my heart had been torn out, and I was trapped. I wanted to scream. I was trapped… here forever. The walls, dark brown and black stone, cold and damp, while the others fed in the main hall, I was haunted by my own thoughts here.

_It's not fair, just when I found my world, they took you, they broke you, they tore out your heart… Now you're gone, and I'm still crying, shocked, broken, I'm dying inside_

My hands clenched around my head, covering my ears, make… it… stop. Go away! I shrieked as memories flashed through my brain.

_I wish I couldn't feel at all, let me be numb, I'm falling. Where are you? I need you. Don't leave me here on my own. I can't survive unless I know you're with me. Please… please come back… please._

Each time I blinked, he was there, but when I opened my eyes, he was gone. My breathing was so shaky, and then I was shaking. My back against the wall, I slid to the floor, my head in my hands.

Where the walls closing in? They had to be… I gasped for air, feeling like I was being strangled,

_I can feel you here with me; I won't let them pull you down. You are haunting me… I see you, you fill my mind… I can't know if I need you, or if I don't need to live… not anymore, not anymore._

I wasn't breathing anymore, just gasping, and still I smelled scents everywhere. Earth, turned up and fresh, ash from a fire, death… him, them. GO AWAY! I screamed at myself, leave me alone, you've done enough damage! I shouted at the memories I struggled to suppress, but like a waterfall… they could not be contained.

_Long lost words whisper slowly to me… haunting words. When all this time, I've been so hallow inside. I can feel you around me, fearing you, loving you… you where the only one who could ever pull me down… Haunting me, only you could do…_

My nails scraped along the rock, screeching so loudly it could have drawn someone away from their feast in the other room. My throat burned, but it was not in thirst, it was in dryness. I had not breathed, I had only thought about his lips on mine…

_I'm going under…I'm falling forever, trying to break through… I've got to break through… I can't do it alone, sinking in black waters, I can't trust myself anymore, I'm dieing again…_

Memories, so painful, but so much of who I am, how could I get rid of them…. I would loose myself. I left behind everything when I met him, cut all my ties except for Felicity and Sara… and now he was gone. If I could cry, I would have drowned the world, if I could die, I would have committed suicide. At this point, hell would be like a sanctuary… I was already living something far worse.

_Am I to lost to be saved? Return to me salvation…_

I was drowning in pain, drowning in loss, drowning for him. At some point, it had to peak, it would happen, and I knew it. I was waiting for it, waiting for the snap. Hopefully death would follow… if the world has any sympathy, death will follow. I stared at the arks in the ceiling, seeing his face and not the bricks. It was too real! I felt his arm on my shoulder!

The last straw was hearing his voice… hearing it in my ear, hearing him whisper the last words he said to me; _I love you, good luck._ I cried out in fury, frustration and pain, without thinking throwing my fist into the stone hard wall. My hand crushed the stones easily, I felt no pain, but I still gasped as it crumpled beneath my fist.

Curling into a ball, I pressed my hand to my chest and burst into tears. Pebbles fell out of a fist shaped hole almost a foot deep in the wall, dropping like tears to the ground. It was silent after they fell; the only sound was my ragged breathing, choked with tearless sobs.

It felt worse than a hole in my heart; it felt like my heart had been ripped _out_. It was a wound that felt like it could never be healed… Your heart could not be replaced. I nearly jumped when I heard footsteps behind me.

"How are you?" Marcus whispered in my ear, I looked up at him from the ground, trying to physically hold myself together with my arms. I knew my eyes conveyed how I felt, like looking into the eyes of someone burning at the stake… I had seen it myself.

"Broken," I murmured, "defeated, lost… and depressed."

He wrapped his arms around me, holding me like a child in his arms, "Alexandria-… Alex." He corrected himself, "That's how they want you to feel." I stared at the roof, trying to swallow the dry sobs,

"I know." My voice cracked, I looked at him… he was my father when I was so young. What was he now? "Why do you care?"

"Because, Alex, I always thought of you… like my daughter." That's what I thought.

"Please," I begged him, pleading, "Please, kill me." He stared at me,

"I… I can't do that." Marcus stammered,

"Marcus, you don't understand," I persisted, "My life… is ruined. Death would be a gift; hell would be… hell would be heaven at this point." I begged with my voice and my eyes.

"Alex, I'm so sorry, I just… I don't think they would let me kill you." I laughed when he said this.

"Aro won't want to loose his white hat." I snapped bitterly.

Marcus nodded, just staring at me, "I'll see what I can do." He stood up and kissed my forehead, leaving me alone with the dark stones.

**Alice POV-**

"ALEX!" I screamed so loudly in the gate of the airport that everyone looked at me.

"What?" Jasper asked,

"Oh no…" I muttered to myself, I looked up at Jasper, "She asked them to kill her… and they agreed." I huffed and tried not to seem hysterical. Alex! How could you? I felt betrayed. How could she… _my_ sister.

"What?!" Rosalie demanded.

"They're going to kill Alex?" Esme asked quietly, I nodded.

"How long?" Edward asked,

"Not long, maybe not long enough. Hours maybe… a day if we're lucky." I muttered, trying to focus. I was so mad at her…

"Alice, don't be mad at Alex." Edward said, "You would do the same thing if you lost Jasper. Any of us would if we lost the one we loved…" He trailed off. We all remember when he had gone to Italy, even Nessie knew.

Peter and Charlotte had met us at the airport, eager to meet someone involved with a war other than the south. We would board our flight form New York to Florence in five minutes. Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat,

"They're going to kill the girl?" He asked Jasper, who pursed his lips and nodded. He glanced at Charlotte and then back at us. Sighing and rubbing his forehead. I zoned out, far away to the land of things to come, to the future.

_A grey wall spanning my entire line of sight_. I kicked Edward in the shin lightly, trying to get his attention.

"I'm listening." He grumbled, maybe I kicked him to hard.

_A pale hand scratched letters into the wall, please…forgive…me…Alice. The hand dropped slowly, towards the girl. Her eyes shimmered with tears she could not cry, she knelt on the floor. Clutching a grey cloak tightly around her shoulders, her crimson eyes sparked with loss and sadness. _

I felt like crying! She knew I would see it, she knew I would feel betrayed by her… Alex! Terrible things happened to her… like, _all the time_. Was she cursed, or did fate just have a sick sense of humor?

I walked, almost numb onto the flight. Waiting, waiting to see whether we would get Alex back… alive.

**Alex- POV**

I felt the tiniest hint of happiness when they agreed to kill me. The first speck of joy, I would be with Ben soon. The one disappointment was that I had killed a human before I could die. There was one left when I went to ask Aro, and his blood sang the sweetest song. There was no chance of resistance.

Nevertheless, they agreed. Cauis was furious, but he was outvoted by his brothers, Marcus and Aro. Marcus requested I be unconscious when I was killed. Aro knew why, he read the thoughts that Marcus buried.

"That is so noble, brother. In truth, she does resemble your daughter. For that, you should be put in charge of how this is handled."

That meant that Marcus could ask Clarissa to shock me into unconsciousness, but it also meant he had to be the one to kill me. He was a bit shaken by that, but he held true to his word. I was constantly crying at this point, so shaken and haunted by his absence that most of the Volturi wanted me dead. All but Alec, Clarissa and Cauis. It didn't matter what they said now, I was going to die.

Marcus and Clarissa walked with me; I would not be killed where the rest of the guard could hear. It would _disturb the peace_. We stopped, somewhere, I didn't know where, underground and dark. The walls where so thick that even if I screamed, no one would hear. I would not scream.

Clarissa placed a hand on my shoulder, looking me dead in the eyes. Then, she shocked me. I felt it travel up to my mind, her gift. Like cutting a cord, I was out in less than a second. Though I was unconscious, I still heard what was going on, I could feel everything around me, but no matter what it was, it could not hurt me.

I heard Clarissa stalk out, angry that I should be getting my way. Marcus stood still for a second, not only not knowing how to kill me, but not wanting to either. He had made a promise, one he had to keep. I felt his hand squeeze my hand, though I was unable to squeeze back. He brushed my hair away from my face.

_Get on with it…_ I thought. I have waited, been tortured, long enough.

Marcus leaned in, and my hold on my awareness began to slip. It was gone a split second after I felt his teeth press lightly down on my neck.

I drifted… and waited.

**A/N- Okay, I will continue on, making this chapter a little longer than I originally intended mostly because it is a huge cliff hanger leaving it there and I don't know when I'll get more time to type. Also, my confusion of 'where' and 'were' are not something I can easily catch due to my dyslexia. I apologize in advance. Also, the italics used from Alex's POV up top are from songs by Evanescence, though edited. It's my favorite band. This is for you people. Enjoy!**

**Alice POV-**

A boy was standing in the airport, running out of a different gate, looking worried and anxious. He was not human. I ran on one side, Jasper on the other, corralling the vampire. He turned, surprised and bewildered to find us on either side of him. He had scars too, everywhere… his hair was black and in his eyes…

"_Ben?!"_ I gasped. His eyes flicked towards my, a warning growl so low, passing humans could not hear.

"Who are you?" He snapped.

"Alice… we're Alex's family after she escaped Europe…" I looked at him, "How are you alive?" He smirked,

"Aro likes his white hat, Jane was allowed to torture me, not kill me, I had done no crime except love a 'criminal'."

I saw something. Dark, Marcus, bent over Alex's limp figure. Urgent… soon…

"No time!" I snapped, "Move! We could have only minutes!" Comprehension flickered in Ben's eyes, and we started sprinting. Not anywhere near human speed, but so fast that they couldn't even see us.

I saw flashes; he brushed her hair out of her face and leaned in, his teeth inches from her neck.

"Come on, come on," I muttered to myself, hoping desperately that it wasn't to late. Jasper and Edward tracked where my vision was based on scent and what I saw. We came to a familiar hole in the ground, when we had been to Volterra before.

I was racing against the clock, I knew we didn't have long, maybe seconds left. We wound down a hall, until Jasper smelled something and took a sharp left. We came to a set of stairs. At the top, I threw the door open.

Marcus was there, his white teeth glinted as the closed on her neck.

"NO!" Ben shouted and tackled Marcus. I rushed to Alex's side; there was a deep gash in her neck.

"Alex?!" I called, she didn't move, she was limp on the ground. Were we too late?

"She's not dead!" Marcus called, struggling to escape a chokehold. "She's just unconscious." Ben stood out of his crouch, never releasing Marcus, and glared,

"Explain." He growled

"Clarissa!" Marcus said, trying to get Ben to release him, "Jane's sister, it's her gift! She can shut a vampire's minds down into a state of unconsciousness." Ben released Marcus, who glared at him quickly.

Ben walked over to Alex's side and cradled her gently in his arms. "I'm so sorry." He whispered in her ear. His black eyes where filled with remorse and sadness. As sunlight filtered into the room through a crack in the ceiling, Ben noticed the silver tags around Alex's neck. Holding them in his hand, he seemed shocked,

"How did she get these? I thought I had lost them…" He muttered, confused,

"Demitri was stalking her, and Jane. Trying to freak her out, Demitri left them in her room with a note saying she was next." Jasper said. That was the first time Ben really looked at Jasper.

He snarled at Jasper, his lip pulling back over his teeth the slightest bit. As soon as Jasper tensed up, Peter and Charlotte were by his side. I put my hand on Jasper's shoulder, trying to calm him down,

"He's not going to attack unless you attack first. He's got to protect her." I said, looking pointedly at Peter and Charlotte. I knew, because I didn't see him attacking Jasper, I only saw him protecting Alex.

"We need to get out of here." Jasper interjected, "I don't know when the rest of the Guard will realize we're here." I nodded. Ben picked Alex up off the ground and the last thing we heard as we sprinted for the door was Marcus,

"Take care of Alex for me." He muttered. I couldn't help but wonder exactly what kind of connection Alex had to him, or even why. With that we where running, and I saw two Volturi had heard us. Edward nodded grimly,

We were nearly out! So close, when Felix and Demitri slid out of a side hallway. Crap. Between Jasper, Peter, Charlotte, Emmett, Edward and Ben they didn't stand a chance. They backed off and we kept running. We were out into the city in almost no time flat, it was sunny, and Alex was there only one wearing a cloak. Jasper lead us into an abandoned stone building that was kept hidden from sunlight.

Ben put Alex down and then stared at me, "Do you see when she'll wake up?" He asked,

"I'll look." I said nodding, and I zoned out. Searching forward by the minute until I saw her awake was my way of finding out. "Exactly two minutes and seven seconds." I said, proudly. Emmett clapped a hand on his shoulder, which I'm pretty sure he either didn't feel or didn't care.

"So, Ben," Carlisle began awkwardly, "I know there's no polite way to ask this but… who are you?"

Ben stared for a second, almost unwilling to speak, then, "I'm Benjamin Acer, I was attacked during World War II by a vampire who wanted me to join her army." He sighed, "And that's basically all I'm willing to tell you."

"You don't trust us." Edward said simply.

"I don't trust anyone." He corrected, "Except people who earn it, people I can count on." Jasper quirked his eyebrows, but I think he understood what Ben was saying.

"So, we all know Alex is fourteen, how old are you?" Emmett asked loudly, thrilled at the idea of being able to call someone else a kid. Ben glared, and for once Emmett had nothing to say. I realized that Emmett had _just_ thought of what would happen if he called Jasper a kid.

"I'm fifteen." He said while glaring.

"Hey, guys, she's waking up." Carlisle said calmly, kneeling beside her. "Edward can you hear anything from her or is she blocking you?"

"I can hear her." Edward pursed his lips and Jasper stiffened at the onslaught of emotions. Knowing that she still thought that Ben was dead, to the point of being suicidal, none of the where good. "She's wondering why she isn't dead…"

Alex's hand twitched and her eyes fluttered open. I was the only one not surprised to see the faded red in them. She groaned inwardly and dropped her head into her hands.

"Alex, does your head hurt?" Carlisle asked, confused and worried. She shook her head. I saw Edward frowning; I could guess what she was thinking. She hadn't wanted to be rescued. She had wanted to be killed. Taking a shaky breath, she inhaled the scents of the room, and froze immediately.

"Impossible…" She murmured to herself. She looked up and Ben was standing right there. Gasping, her mouth fell open and she gawked.

"He was never dead Alex," Carlisle said soothingly, "They lied." That was all she needed to hear. She only needed to know that it wasn't an illusion.

Alex threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He held her in his arms while she cried into his shoulder. "Ben," She muttered, just saying his name, as if it healed her. As if it healed the wounds, she had while she thought he was dead. Ben kissed her forehead lightly, and stepped back a little to look at her face,

"I missed you… so much." He said quietly, stroking her cheek. Then, so quickly that I could not tell for sure, but something in Alex's eyes changed. For a split second, the sadness and fear in her eyes showed. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, and there was light in them again. Ben noticed too.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, she looked down, "Alexandria," He said pointedly, "you can tell me you know." He whispered, twirling a lock of her hair with his finger. She laughed and gently pushed his hand aside,

"Stop being silly," She giggled. Yeah, Alex giggled, I was incredibly surprised. "Um…" She stammered, returning to his question, "I… I guess I'm just a bit shocked. I've spent all this time thinking that you were dead." Alex admitted, she seemed not to care in the slightest that Ben had called her Alexandria.

Ben gave her a pained look, "And you where going to kill yourself, weren't you?" Alex was about to talk, but he interrupted,

"Don't lie." He exhaled, "What's bothering you Alexandria?" Again! I thought shocked, he calls her Alexandria and she doesn't mind!

"It's complicated…" She said, embarrassed. "I just felt like my reason for living was gone, and I couldn't bear to be back with any of the Volturi."

Ben sighed and smiled, "That's insane you know. But your father is insane to, so I see that it must be contag-"

"That wretched man is not my father." Alex almost snapped, and then froze, realizing that she had almost yelled at him, "Oh my gosh… uh, sorry. I'm jus still kind of… mixed up in all this."

"Oh, you'll get over it." He said, kissing her forehead, "You always do." Emmett coughed behind them.

"Got a cold, Emmett?" Alex asked sarcastically,

"Sure do… Alexandria." He laughed, gaffing at her real name

"Call me Alexandria gain," Alex warned, stalking one step forward, "and I will snap your arm in half." She said it so smoothly and pleasantly that everyone one of us stared for a moment. She laughed, breezy, easy, "I don't joke around Emmett, and I hate that name." She took another step forward, almost in his face, "Do you know why I hate that name?"

"No." Was all he could manage, giving her a shocked look.

"Because the man who called himself my father used to call me Alexandria." She said curtly,

"Who exactly is that man?" Carlisle asked quizzically.

"Marcus Volturi." Ben answered when she did not.

"Can we leave Italy?" Alex asked quickly, "Soon? It's… uh, it's not the nicest and most welcoming environment." She shifted uncomfortably, looking around, as if something was going to jump out of the shadows.

"Well we would, but there's one problem." Edward said, taking a step away from Bella's side,

"What is that?" Alex asked,

"You _eyes_." He drawled, as though it was obvious. However, according to the shocked look upon her face it was not obvious to her.

"Oh," She looked around at Carlisle, "Sorry."

"Its quiet understandable, being there for extended periods of time with no ability to hunt and everyone else constantly feeding on humans… it's relatively expected." Carlisle responded, fighting a smile.

**Alice Cullen's Journal- April 28, 2013**

For a moment, everything was all right. It was all calm, and no one was after our lives. We were all, as one, as a family, happy. We flew back to Forks in three days, in that time, Alex had accepted our offer to take the last name Cullen, she could not remember her own. For the sake of seeming normal, Ben would take the last name Hale when we returned to school. Rose was exceedingly kind to both Alex and Ben, I think that she really cares about them.

Alex is still recovering from her experiences, she may never be completely the same, but she is happy now. Ben and Jasper, surprisingly are good friends now, and Jasper has taken what I would call an 'older brother' role. It's good for both of them, I think. They're both so closed off sometimes. As Ben said, he didn't trust people, but he trusts us now.

**A/N The story isn't over yet. Trust me on that one, so check back in later. Read, REVIEW, and have a nice day. Props to the girl who helped me write this once I hit a wall, kid's got spunk! Thanks a ton girl! Also, check out my newest story, Black Feathers, a Twilight- Maximum Ride crossover.**


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